


Little Songbird

by hirusen



Series: Detroit: Deviant Tales [4]
Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Blood and Injury, Children, Comfort, Detroit Police Department (Detroit: Become Human), Drinking, Drunkenness, Falling In Love, Family, Family Dynamics, Family Feels, Fist Fights, Gavin Reed Is Good With Kids, Gentleness, Grief/Mourning, Gyms, Hank Anderson and Connor Live Together, Home Videos, Hospitals, Language, Love Confessions, Lullabies, M/M, Mentioned Cole Anderson, Mildly Dubious Consent, North Has Anger Issues, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Parent Death, Past Markus/North (Detroit: Become Human), Peaceful Android Revolution (Detroit: Become Human), Personal Trainer Gavin Reed, Post-Android Revolution (Detroit: Become Human), Protectiveness, Singing, Smoking, Tags Are Hard, Video Cameras
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-08
Updated: 2019-02-08
Packaged: 2019-10-24 06:26:04
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,688
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17699318
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hirusen/pseuds/hirusen
Summary: Gavin has a secret talent that only Hank knows. Until an unfortunate case that is.





	1. Comforting

The door was kicked down and they flooded in, Hank quickly finding one of the suspects and apprehending them. "Connor, with me." "Got it." Gavin and Connor exchanged as the detective made his way towards the stairs, waiting until he felt Connor's hand on his shoulder before going up them. They heard as a door slammed shut and Gavin glanced over his shoulder at the android, seeing him nod before going on. Slowly, they opened each door they came upon, until they found one that was locked. Connor moved to the other side of the door frame and locked his eyes with Gavin.

"DPD! Open the door!" He called and was greeted with the sound of a gunshot going off. He took a step back and kicked the door in, Connor swooping in, another gun shot going off before the second suspect grunted as he was taken down, Connor quickly cuffing them. Gavin entered the room seconds later and grimaced, grabbing the walkie off his belt. "I need a medic to the second floor, one of the hostages has been shot, looks fatal." He reported, listening to Connor as he instructed him how to slow the bleeding for now. The paramedic was there a couple of minutes later, taking over and getting the man onto a stretcher.

"Is everything all good up there?" Hank's voice crackled over the walkie. "Yeah. You good, Hank?" "Fine. Anyone hurt?" "Connor got shot in the arm, but nothing too bad; simple repair and he'll be fine." Gavin reported, checking the injury himself, not caring about the Thirium that had leaked over his hand while he did. They went back downstairs and met up with Hank, Simon and Markus now at the scene. "...ght. Just breath and try to relax, it's going to be okay." Gavin heard Markus comfort the android that had been living with the family as he came over, Simon glancing to him with a weak smile. "Is she alright?" "Yeah, shaken up but unharmed."

"...Wait, we're missing someone." Markus spoke and the air seemed to freeze into ice despite the spring warmth. "What?" "Where's their son?" "They had a kid?" Hank asked, both Connor and Gavin seeing the panic start to wash over him. They were still in the living room and both Gavin and Hank drew their guns at a sudden clattering towards the kitchen. "...I'll come with you, detective." Simon muttered and he nodded his head, slowly heading towards the kitchen. When they entered, Gavin quickly spotted that the door to the larder had just shut and he took a slow breath. 'This way.' He hushed under his breath, leading them both to the door.

Turning the knob slowly, Gavin pulled the door open, unable to see too much inside besides the shelves of food; what he did know was that whoever was in there could see them. Simon was stunned when Gavin made a show of putting his gun away (even more shocked that he even put his gun away in the first place), before he raised his hands up and crouched down. "I'm not going to hurt you." His voice was soft, encouraging, and Simon's eyes went wide when a young boy poked his head out from behind the many bags on the floor of the larder.

"Hi there. My name's Gavin, and this is Simon." He introduced, Simon quickly kneeling down as well, a gentle smile on his lips. "What's your name?" "Alec..." "Alec? That's a nice name." "A-Are..." Alec started, Gavin seeing the tears forming in the boy's green eyes, "Are the bad people gone?" "Yes. We took the bad people away. Are you hurt?" Alec shook his head. "I-I heard...a loud pop upstairs where papa was..." Gavin frowned a little; he had been hoping the kid hadn't heard that. "The bad guys hurt your papa, but he's already being taken care of." It seemed to relax Alec a little.

"And... I-Is mama okay?" "Yes, she is. Do you know who the other girl is?" "Jane? Is she okay?" Gavin hummed, noticing that the kid was starting to shift out of his hiding spot a little bit. "Did you want to see them? They're outside." "I-I wanna, b-but... I-I'm scared." "It's okay. I'm not going to let anyone hurt you. I promise." Gavin hushed, offering his hand for the young boy to take. "I'm sure Jane and your mama want to see you too." In a flash of movement, Alec shot out of his hiding place and was pressing himself into Gavin's chest. Simon was surprised by how quickly Gavin reacted, his arms curling protectively around the boy and rocking him for a moment before picking him up, taking him outside.

"Alec!" His mother cried out, rushing towards Gavin has he carefully handed the boy over. "He's a little shaken up, but he's not hurt." "Oh, thank God you're alright! I was so scared!" "Alec!" Jane spoke up, moving closer to the duo, and Gavin took a step back, giving them space. "We'll take them to the hospital to get checked out." "Alright." The medic informed him and the five of them watched as the now reunited family was taken to get properly examined. Gavin let out a long, heavy breath as Hank's hand clapped against his back. "I'm sure they'll be fine, Gavin." "...You doing okay? I know you hate situations like this."

Situations where a child is put at risk. Situations where a parent or family member could be killed, traumatizing or orphaning said child. "Are you?" "...I'll get there. Might need a couple of drinks though." Gavin commented as he pulled out his pack of smokes and lit up, taking a deep drag, making sure to blow the smoke up and away from the people around him. He's an asshole, not an evil dickwad. "I am surprised, detective." Simon spoke up as they headed towards their respective vehicles, named cop cocking a brow at him, "I didn't think that you'd handle a scared child so well." "Wait, it was Gavin who calmed him down?" Markus asked, both he and Connor in awe about the news; the only one who didn't look surprised was Hank, strangely enough.

Gavin just shrugged. "Guess I knew what to say." He didn't like bringing attention to his little talent, thankful that he knows Hank won't spill the beans about it. Reed got into his car after finishing off his cigarette and left.


	2. Not So Breakable

Hank was still laughing as one of their newest and extremely cocky patrol officers held a tissue to his nose, it quickly turning red with blood. "Fucking bitch! Whore wouldn't know a good time if it fucked her!" Gavin overheard as he saw North storm over to the break area, Tina giving the android a soft smile, but not reaching out to touch her; everyone knew that you only touched an angry North if you wanted a free trip to the hospital. "What the hell did you do to piss her off?" He asked as he walked over, curious about it. "I just asked her if she was interested in a good time later! Bitch fucking punched me for it!" "You do anything when you asked her?"

The patrol officer shrugged. "Slid my hand across her waist; why?" Gavin hummed, gently pulled the officer's hand away from their nose and looked at it. She got it to bleed pretty bad, but Gavin doesn't think this asshole has properly learned his lesson.

So, he punched him in the nose as well, and this time they all heard it crack.

"FUCKER! Why the fuck did you do that?!" "Because your sexist ass needs to learn manners." Gavin flatly stated, Hank already into a fresh round of laughter, as he turned on his heel and headed into the break area. "North? Can I talk to you in private for a moment?" She glared at him, huffed a grunt, and gestured for him to lead the way. He took her into the interrogation room and locked the door behind him. "You gonna tell me off for punching an officer?" "Oh fuck no. I haven't heard Hank laugh that hard in ages." Gavin stated, leaning against the table while she leaned on the far wall. North raised a brow at him.

"You know you have anger issues right? From what happened to you before?" He didn't need to go any further than that; she quickly boiled over and lunged for him. North was shocked when he quickly countered her left hook, knocking the wind out of her with a quick palm against her stomach, and took control of her arms, pinning them behind her back in one hand while his other hand had her head pressed against the table, his legs trapping both of hers between them. She was helpless and no matter how hard she struggled, she couldn't get free.

"Calm down." "Fuck you! Let me go!" "Calm. Down." His tone was firm, but he didn't shout at her and she stopped squirming. "When you're angry, you lash out; you, pick a fight." "What's your point?" "That you can fuel that anger properly if you were trained how to fight." "I know how to fight!" "Right. And that's why it's you pinned to the table and not me." Gavin retorted, feeling as North flicked one of her legs up to try and kick him; she did land a hit, but not with enough force for him to let her go or even make a sound. "Now, if you were in this situation with anyone besides me, say the cop you punched, you realize the danger you'd be in, correct?" North glared at him from over her shoulder, but the look deeper in her eyes told him that she did.

"If you're properly trained on how to fight, then the chance of you ending up like this lowers by a lot; plus, you'd be more likely to break the noses of assholes like him if you know how to strike them." "And what? You're offering to train me?" "I am." North grew still. "...Really?" "I honestly should be training you, Simon, Markus, and Connor, but I think you'd need to start training as soon as possible." "Why? Because I'm a woman?" "And most men see women as an easy target because they're suppose to be weak and unassertive; it'd be nice to help you prove pricks like that wrong." North shifted as best as she could to look at Gavin more.

"Simon I can understand him needing training, but why Markus and Connor?" "Markus and Connor can fight, it's true, but not in a way that doesn't leave them exposed; Markus has more a street fighting style, while Connor seems to have basic training, but his form's all wrong and he leaves himself open for counterattacks too easily." While Gavin was saying this, he felt as North tried to quickly shift her weight and try to buck him off, but he easily lifted her up by her captured arms enough that she no longer had the leverage needed to do so. She growled in frustration.

"You've got the right idea though. Get me off balance then shove me away from you however you can. There is another way to get free of my grip." "How?" Gavin smirked down at her, and he knew the sight would piss her off even more, which is what he wanted. She tried again, this time attempting to kick at him again, but he just slammed her back down onto the table she had been hovering a little over and knocked the air out of her again, stunning her. "And this would be when some pervert would bind your arms with zip-ties, rip your top off or open, and start fondling you."

Gavin calmly spoke, pressing himself down against her body to emphasize his words. North made a soft whimpering noise and normally this would be where Gavin would back off, but he could still feel the tension in her arms, eager to clock him, so he stayed put. "They'd slam your head against the table again to keep you stunned, get your pants, underwear, and shoes off, and start doing whatever they wanted." North had tears in her eyes and, yes, Gavin felt like the asshole many people call him, but he needed to get this through North's head. This was a very real risk for both androids and humans, men and woman (and sometimes children for the really sick fuckers in the world), and it's something that can happen under nearly any circumstance.

"...How do I get out of this, Gavin?" "I'll tell you if you agree to let me train you." North gritted her teeth; she wanted to get out of his grasp, to get away from him and make him swallow his teeth, but at the same time she didn't want a  _human_ to train her how to properly fight. "...I get it. You don't want some 'big, strong man' to train you; you don't want a fuckin' human to teach you. But North, that's  **exactl** **y** why I'm offering. I know how a human will think; I know how a man will think to try and overpower you--like I easily did--and have his way with you." Well, he did have a point. "...Fine. Alright, I agree."

"Move your right leg so it's pressed against mine." He instructed calmly and felt as she pressed her leg against his. "Normally, this would be all in one motion, but I need to walk you through it first." North nodded her head, actually listening to him, which Gavin admits is a bit shocking. "With your leg there, you're going to kick it out, forcing my legs further apart; from there, buck your whole body back to throw my weight enough for my balance to be a little off, and then as hard as you can, rip your arms to your sides. It will force my fingers far enough apart for my grip to loosen and your arms to be freed; once you have them freed, spin around, grab my throat, and slam me down onto the table."

And with a speed Gavin was going to be ecstatic to hone, North did exactly what he said, grunting as his back and head were slammed onto the table, but he didn't mind the minor throbbing that caused in his body. He just smiled warmly up at her in genuine affection. "That's a girl." He felt as her hand pressed deeper into his throat, but he kept calm; she was wanting a fear response from him, but he wasn't going to give it to her. He was satisfied when she loosened her grip back up, but didn't more her hand away from his neck. "...This can't be a practical way to get out of that position." "It's not. Think of that kind of method to be used in a bar fight or something of that nature; you don't have a lot of space to do much, and you've got no idea if anyone is going to help. And if someone does, are they going to be helping you, or your attacker?"

She seemed to get where he was going. Of course that's when she noticed that his dopamine levels were a little higher than usual. "Really? You got off on that?" Gavin shrugged. "I like to be dominated; like to work for my pleasure." He grinned wildly at her, North almost matching it with a smirk of her own. "Not all humans are fragile little things that want everything they desire handed to them. Some of us like to  _earn_ what we want." "Oh, I'm going to enjoy kicking your ass." Gavin chuckled, North feeling it vibrate against her hand. "You're only gonna like it because you have a reason to beat up a human; or try to, I'm no pushover, North." "Oh yeah?"

Just like he thought, she got comfortable with the control she had, grown cocky and he took his opening. In a flash, he grabbed the arm on his neck and twisted it so she was forced to turn to the right; he then hooked his left leg around her right and pulled back, throwing her balance before shoving both of them forward and once again had her pinned, this time between his body and a wall. When she tried to retaliated, he quickly bent down far enough to loop his left arm under her free leg, pulled it up, and grabbed her left arm, pinning it to the wall as well.

Once more, North was helpless, and this time, she was even more exposed. "Yeah. And this way, it's easier to get at what some fucko really wants from you." North growled, but relaxed her body, Gavin releasing her this time. "...What are you trained in?" "Proper street fighting for one, because yes that actually is a style of fighting. I'm also trained in MMA fighting as well as jujitsu. A friend of mine has also shown me the basics to kick-boxing and judo, so I guess those too." "Christ. What the hell did you get into when you were younger?" "The same thing I do now: nothing good."

Gavin said with a smirk, North letting out a little snort before the two were laughing. "...So, a week from now at the nearby gym?" Gavin asked and North nodded her head. "What time?" "9 in the morning?" North wasn't expecting that to be the time. "We'll be going to the gym on a Friday which is when I'd normally do my full workout routine, so I'll have already been there for two hours when you get there." "You go to the gym at 7 in the morning?" Gavin nodded his head. "I'm lucky enough to get weekends off every other week, so the days I work out are the only days I don't start with a cup of coffee."

"How have you not committed murder yet?" "One of the great wonders of the world."


	3. Record

Connor had been cleaning the house, Hank having been the one to take Sumo out for his walk. They had moved back into Hank's old home, the one he had bought with his ex-wife before Cole was born; Hank had given Cole's room to Connor, saying that he wanted him to finally have something he could call his own. He had already finished with the bathroom and kitchen, now working on the living room when he found something sticking out of the movie cabinet that caught his attention. It was a cardboard box that had old VCR tapes in it; Hank was one of the few people who still had a player for the now modern day artifacts.

Glancing at the box, he saw 'Home Movies' scribbled on the side. As in videos of Hank and most likely Cole. Looking into the box, he was surprised to see that they were organized, separated with a proper dividers; Cole's birthday, vids with the ex-wife, my childhood, and a few others, but one had his attention. 'Videos of Cole and his uncle'. Connor knew that Hank was an only child, as was his ex-wife, so who's this uncle that's mentioned? He looked at the masking tape that was on the plastic, reading the titles and was drawn to the one that was called 'His Uncle Comes Back Home', and pulled it from the box carefully.

"Connor, I'm... Hey! What the hell are you doing?!" Hank's voice boomed from across the room and Connor almost fumbled the tape in his hands, glancing to Hank with an apologetic look. "I'm sorry, Hank! I-I didn't mean to--" Hank sighed with a raised hand, stopping Connor. "No, it's alright. I..." Another sigh. "We can watch those together, the ones with Cole's uncle, but you have to promise me something first." "...Okay?" Promise him what?

"You can't tell anyone who Cole's uncle is, and you can't mention to him that you know."

That was such a strange promise to make him keep. "Why?" "He's...still getting over the loss of Cole; they were very close, so--... ** _he_** was just as devastated as I was." There had been a name on Hank's lips, but he stopped himself and basically forced the 'he' out to replace the name. "...Alright. I won't let anyone know that I know about this." Hank nodded his head, gently taking the tape from Connor's hand and popped it into the player as he turned the TV on, the duo settling onto the couch.

The film started with a shot of a child's bed--Cole's, Connor quickly realized--before Cole popped onto the screen.  _"RAH!"_ Cole screamed happily as Hank scooped his son up into his free arm, turning the camera around so both of their faces were on the screen; this was back when Hank's hair still had some color to it, the dark brown desperately holding on.  _"You excited to see your uncle again?" "Yeah! He's been gone for soooo long!"_ Hank laughed warmly.  _"He's only been away for a week, Cole!" "Still long!" "You got your present?"_ Hank asked as he set Cole down, who nodded as he darted back into his room to grab it.

 _"Oh, what, I don't get to see it?" "You already know what it is, daddy!"_ Cole said, sticking out his tongue. Glancing to his left, Connor saw the current Hank's lips curl into a warm smile; this was obviously a fond memory for him to be reliving.  _"Little rascal!"_ Hank's hand came into frame and he ruffled Cole's hair before offering it to his son.  _"Alright, let's go to the airport."_ The video then cut to inside of Hank's car, Cole in the backseat with the camera pointed at his face.  _"You see the little red light?" "Oh, yeah! It's on!"_  Both Hanks laughed.

 _"So, he was away for a meeting?" "Yep. I was suppose to go, but you got sick, so your uncle offered to go instead."_ Hank glanced to Connor; those words right there were the only hint that was ever given in that film before Cole's uncle was revealed.  _So, Cole's uncle isn't_  _biologically related; he's someone from the DPD._ But who was Hank close enough to back then to trust his son's safety with? He guess he's gonna find out soon enough, as he heard the car come to a stop, Hank shifting it into park.  _"Is he gonna stay with us tonight?" "You want him to?" "Yeah!" "Well, I guess he's staying with us tonight."_ Hank was a really good father, no matter what he said.

Cole unbuckled his seatbelt, grabbed his gift before crawling out of the backseat, Hank taking the camera so he could hold Cole's hand. They walked through the parking garage, and into the airport itself, going first for the large board that held the inbound and outbound flights. Hank lifted Cole into his arm and angled the camera so that his and Cole's faces were in frame.  _"You see your uncle's flight?"_ Cole was quiet for a moment before,  _"There!"_ Hank turned the camera and zoomed in on the flight, seeing that it was coming in at C terminal.  _"Alright! Let's go get your uncle."_ Hank said as he set Cole back down onto the ground, heading towards the terminal.

There was another clear time skip as Hank had pointed the camera at the clock which had read 3:20, now suddenly reading 3:50. Hank pointed the camera at Cole.  _"So, what are we gonna have for dinner?" "Well...I want uncle's spaghetti, but...he might be tired."_ Oh, God Connor wishes that Cole was still alive; he's such a sweet boy.  _"He might be." "And if he is... I want mac and cheese!" "Heh, just mac and cheese? No chicken strips or tots?" "WITH chicken strips AND tots!" "Oh man! That's a lotta food." "Well, you and my uncle's gonna be hungry too!" "Oh, so it's not all for you?"_ Hank teased, ruffling his son's hair for a moment.

He turned the camera to the side, Cole having turned his attention to the people pouring out of the terminal, fresh off the plane. Then he spotted someone that made his mouth spread into a wide grin.  _"UNCLE!!"_ He shouted as he took off running, Hank having the camera follow him.

And Connor saw as Cole leapt up at Gavin as he knelt down, dropping his duffle bag onto the ground as he did, and caught Cole in his arms, a huge grin on his face.

 _"Hey there little man! How've ya been?"_ Gavin looked practically the same, the only difference being that he didn't have the scar on his nose.  _"Good! I've got something for you!" "A present for me?"_ Gavin asked as Cole moved his arms, offering a small, stuffed cat to Gavin; it looked like it was meant to be like a teddy bear.  _"Oh wow! Thank you, Cole." "How was the meeting?"_ Hank asked as Gavin picked up both his bag and Cole, leaning in to press a kiss to Cole's temple.  _"Long and boring. Same old thing, it seems." "So I didn't miss much." "Nope."_

It was strange seeing Hank and Gavin interact like this. Connor only knows the rivalry between them; seeing them so warm and friendly with each other was strange to witness.  _"You have any other bags?"_ Gavin shook his head, smiling when Cole's arms wrapped tighter around his neck.  _"I've missed you, uncle Reed." "Oh, I've missed you too, kiddo. Glad you're feeling better."_ They started to head back towards Hank's car, Gavin being handed the camera as Hank took his son out of his arm.  _"...He's such a good dad."_ Gavin commented, clearly only loud enough for the camera to pick up, waiting for Hank to close the backdoor before heading to the passenger side and climbing in.

 _"Cole was wanting your spaghetti for dinner." "Oh yeah? ...Ah, sure why not. I've kinda been wanting to make a proper meal for a while. The hotel's food **sucked** , and there was no way I was going to risk any local places." "Oh no; it was held in THAT part of town?"_ Hank asked, referring to the meeting as he backed out of the parking spot.  _"Yeah. And you lucked out; Jessi had been there this time." "Oh that f...prick's a pain!"_ Hank clearly had much different words that he wanted to say in that moment. There was another skip in time, the trio now back in Hank's home, Gavin and Cole on the couch watching a movie.

 _"Hey."_ Hank spoke up, Gavin glancing to him with a smile.  _"Hey. Think he's finally tuckered out."_ Cole's head was in Gavin's lap, Reed's hand resting on the young boy's shoulder, his eyes closed and obviously sleeping.  _"I'll get him to bed."_ Hank said and Gavin nodded, reaching to take the camera from the father, recording as he carried Cole to his bedroom, tucking him in. Gavin recorded the floor for a moment as he bent down and most likely pressed a kiss to Cole's forehead. The two men leaving the room and Hank took the camera again.  _"Do I get a goodnight kiss too?" "Oh yeah. Here's your goodnight kiss."_ Hank snarked, flipping Gavin the bird on camera, but the man only chuckled and smiled.

 _"Ass."_ They moved into the living room and settled on the couch, Hank setting the camera onto the table.  _"You sure you want the couch? You know I don't mind if you sleep in my bed with me."_ He saw as Gavin blushed deeply.  _"Hank, we both know that's not a good idea." "...God, sometimes I wish the thought me being with a man didn't bug me as bad as it does."_ Hank spoke after a moment of silence, his hand coming up and rubbing across Gavin's shoulders a few times.  _"You're a good man, Reed, and I know you're gonna make some lucky guy very happy."_ Gavin smiled, leaning forward so his arms rested on his legs, a clear look of distraught on his face.

 _"I'm just happy you and Cole didn't demonize me like my father did." "Your father's a fucking cunt of a bastard who can't get past his own ego to see that you liking men doesn't change the person you are in the slightest."_ There was tears in Gavin's eyes after Hank said those words, and as if sensing this, Hank pulled Gavin into his arms; they both heard as Gavin let out a soft, broken sob.  _"I'm always gonna be here for you, son. No matter what happens, you can always come to me." "...Thank you, Hank."_ And then the video ended.

"Gavin has a talent for handling children." Hank said after a moment, Connor snapping his head to his adopted father. "It's been that way since he was young; his parents sent him to the YMCA when he was younger, since they couldn't afford someone to look after him during the summer while they worked, and didn't have enough money to afford an android. They give out rewards each year of the program and Gavin always ended up getting the 'father of the group', 'group leader' and 'diplomat' rewards; he always made sure that the other kids, part of his site or not, were okay if they appeared upset or hurt, always took the lead when one else would, and could actually get kids that were fighting to come to an agreement about whatever it was and get them to work together afterwards."

"Wow... He seems the complete opposite now." "Well, after he came out to his mother and father separately, his father refused to call Gavin his son, and practically disowned him." "What about his mother?" Hank sighed and leaned further into the couch. "She accepted and supported him, but she died about two years after he came out; she was fighting coronary heart disease in the late stages where she needed a heart transplant in order to survive, but they couldn't find one in time to save her. ...Gavin had been with her when she died." "...I'm sure that has been better in the long run than not being there." "I certainly hope so."

* * *

Connor set the cups of hot cocoa onto the table, Hank having just finished pulling all of the videos with Gavin and Cole that he knew didn't watch to hurt (it was about six of them), and popped in the first one, joining Connor on the couch.

 _"Oh, come on, Mary! Don't be like this!" "Shut up, Hank! I can't stand you right now!" "Honey, it's my job! There's nothing I can do about it!"_ This one opened up on a very loud argument between Hank and his ex-wife, fighting over the fact that Hank was a police officer. Mary made a screech of anger and stormed for the front door, flinging it open to reveal a very startled Gavin.  _"Oh! Sorry, Mary." "Whatever."_ She pushed passed Reed, who looked worried.  _"Mary, where are you going?!" "OUT!"_ She shouted, stepping into the taxi that just appeared and then was gone.

Hank sighed heavily.  _"...Is this a bad time, lieutenant?" "No. It's...about as good as it can get. Whatcha need, Gavin?"_ Reed stepped inside and shut the door behind him.  _"Well, I was sent to inform you that you've got a lead on your case, but..." "Goddammit..."_ Hank breathed, turning away from the front door and Gavin, and into the living room, Connor hearing as Reed followed him.  _"I'm guessing you have no way to get ahold of a babysitter?" "No. Too late in the night. ...Why did they send you instead of just calling me?" "Captain Fowler has been for the last hour; I can see now why you haven't answered."_ Gavin stated, a frown on his lips.

 _"It's just going to have to wait until the morning; I can't leave Cole alone, and there's no way I can bring him with me to the station."_ Gavin looked a little stressed out, most likely because of the expression that was on Hank's face at the time.  _"...You wanna stay the night?" "Y-You don't mind?"_ Gavin stuttered, clearly surprised by the offer.  _"It's late enough as it is, and I don't want you to get into an accident."_ Gavin seemed to give it some thought before he nodded his head.  _"Thank you, lieutenant." "Oh, for fuck's sake, Reed! You've known me for long enough to drop the formality!"_

Gavin gave Hank a weak smile.  _"Sorry, Hank."_ Named man just let out a long breath.  _"You go ahead and take my bed; Cole's probably gonna wake up soon anyways."_ It was plain to see and hear that having a newborn was really taxing on Hank. Gavin opened his mouth to say something, but closed it and nodded his head.  _"Okay. Goodnight, Hank."_ It then cut to the camera being turned back on, pointed at Hank's tired face and the sound of an infant crying in the background.  _"I'm comin', Cole."_ He muttered, picking the camera up and made his way to the room Cole was in.

There was a moment of tension when Hank paused as he saw that the door to the room was already cracked open and Cole's crying quickly calmed. Slowly pushing the door open more, there was an audible gasp when he saw Gavin in the rocking chair, Cole resting against his chest; Gavin was humming a very faint little tune, a calm expression on his face, which was still without the scar Connor knows him to have.  _"Gavin?" "Oh, hi Hank." "What are you doing?" "Calming Cole?"_ He asked, unsure of what Hank was trying to get at.  _"You know how to handle kids?"_ Gavin hummed.

 _"Kinda a talent, if you will. I don't have any other siblings, but I've always been good at calming down children."_ Gavin explained as he started to rock back and froth in the chair, rubbing little circles into Cole's back.  _"...Was he just upset?"_ Hank asked and Reed nodded his head.  _"I think he finally noticed that Mary was gone and didn't like that."_ Hank stepped further into the room, Gavin glancing up to him with a soft smile.  _"Why don't you go get some sleep, Hank? I've got the little guy." "No, Reed, you don't have--" "I know I don't."_ Gavin cut in, Hank going quiet.  _"But you've clearly haven't been getting a lot of sleep this last year; it's not good for your health."_ Hank chuckled.

 _"And you can really tell what he's gonna need?" "I've babysat when I was a teenager; I know what I'm doing."_ Huh. That seemed odd to Connor; he's always imagined Gavin to have a pretty reckless childhood.  _"Really? Your record says otherwise."_ Oh. So he  **did** have a reckless childhood. Gavin sighed.  _"Mom was in and out of the hospital and got let go because of that; dad like to spend half of his money on booze and women. I had to figure someway to keep everything on and working." "...So those B &E's and theft on your record?" _Gavin sighed deeply.  _"I've done somethings I'm not totally proud of to keep the lights on. But, I've already paid those people back." "Paid them back?"_

Reed nodded his head, standing up now, and set a now sleeping Cole back into his crib.  _"I've kept a little notebook of all the places I've stole from, what I stole, and how much it should be worth. When I have some extra cash from work, it usually goes to those families." "Usually?"_ Gavin's eyes softened then.  _"...Some of them have lost loved ones, others are still trying to fight to survive, either in the hospital or on the street; I...do what I can to help them out."_ Hank made some kind of motion to beckon Gavin closer and pulled him into a hug when he was close enough.  _"...You're a good man, Reed." "...Thank you, Hank."_ He pulled away after a moment.  _"Now, go get some sleep. I'll make sure Cole has a restful night."_ And then it ended.

"Is he still doing that?" Hank shook his head. "Got them all paid back. Two or three of the families send him a yearly card during the holidays, but that's about it." Connor hummed, moving off the couch to pick a different video to watch. "...Was Cole only a year old in this one?" Hank hummed in agreement. "He was three in the first one; Gavin's been part of the force since 2022, and he's seen my rise through the ranks." "How old was he when he joined?" "I think he was twenty; fresh out of the academy, but had one of the highest marks they've seen in years besides mine. He's a hard worker, even if doesn't seem like it now." Connor hummed and he finally settled on one and popped it in.

 _"Gavin! Where did you say it was?!" "In the trunk! Couldn't fit it in the backseat!"_ Gavin and Hank exchanged, the scene of a park filling the screen. Hank kept the camera on Gavin as Cole ran up and jumped, the man easily catching him and spinning him around. He then walked over to his car, popped the trunk, and pulled out a large wicker basket, slamming the lid back down. Hank walked over to a park bench that already had some drinks and toys on it. They were having a picnic at a park, the sound of traffic clearly close by. It was about mid-day, other kids running around, their parents or androids nearby, talking amongst themselves while also keeping an eye on their child. Gavin was making fake airplane noises, his arms spread wide while Cole's arms were wrapped tightly around his neck, currently on his back and laughing gleefully.

Hank kept the camera on them, hearing to the side as a woman giggled warmly.  _"He's such a cute boy. Is he your's and your partner's?" "Oh, he and I aren't together, but yes he is mine."_ That seemed to be a shock to the woman if her inhale was anything to go on, but she chuckled warmly before seeming to walk away.  _"Touchdown!"_ Cole chipped as Gavin quickly spun him around and captured him in his arms, setting him down on the bench seat.  _"You hungry, Cole?"_ Hank asked and his son nodded his head, Gavin sitting next to Hank and taking the camera from him.

 _"And here we have a Cole in his natural habitat, 'bout to get some yummy food from his big papa bear."_ Gavin announced like a nature film, grunting as the camera shifted sideways, Hank undoubtedly shoving at Gavin's head.  _"You butt." "Oh come on! He's too cute to not do that at least once!"_ Gavin retorted, turning the camera onto Hank; he chose to annoy him by slowly zooming the camera closer and closer onto his face. Gavin couldn't help his snort when Hank turned to face him.  _"Nice nose hairs."_ Cole giggled as well and Hank gave up on whatever he was going to say, handing out the food that had been in the basket.

It cuts to some time later, the sun having shifted a little bit. Hank had the camera and was just panning across the park.  _"This is one of Cole's favorite parks; loves all the trees and the pond that's nearby."_ Hank turned the camera around so it was facing him.  _"I like it too, but I always get antsy that there's cars so fucking close to the park."_ To point it out further, he moved the camera so he caught the traffic that was flowing pretty heavily; it was mere feet from the entrance of the park. The camera was moved again, a look on Hank's face not to easy to read, like he was trying to settle on something.  _"...I should tell him now. I'd love to see his reaction to it while he's not so stressed out."_ Connor wasn't sure what Hank was talking about, but that moment of peace was suddenly and violently shattered.

 _" **COLE!** "_ Gavin's scream pierced the air and Hank whipped the camera around just in time to see Gavin lunging for Cole, who was in the middle of the street, right as a car came barreling down the road at nearly twice the speed it should be. The sound of a body impacting with glass and metal echoed disturbingly as tires screeched to a halt. Connor's hand snatched Hank's as he saw as Gavin's body slammed onto the asphalt, blood visible as his arms seemed to be wrapped around something; Cole was nowhere in sight.  _"Cole! Gavin!"_ Hank yelled, booking it for the fallen man.

 _"Cole! Gavin! Hey, talk to me!"_ Hank shouted as he reached for Gavin, gently turning the man onto his back. There was cuts all over his arms and his face, a long gash running across his face that seemed deeper than the rest bleeding badly. In his arms, was Cole, crying but not harmed.  _"Oh thank God you're okay!"_ Hank's voice had relief as Gavin slowly loosened his arms so Hank could take Cole out of them.  _"I-I'm sorry! I'm sorry, daddy! I'm sorry, uncle Gavin!" "No, no, it's okay, Cole." "Okay?! Gavin, you could have been killed!"_ Hank screamed before he turned to his son, a hand gripping his small shoulder.  _"And what on earth were you doing out in the street?!" "I-I... I, I wa-was just..." "Don't be mad at him."_ Gavin said, slowly pushing himself up.

Connor noticed that his hand had been curled around something, turning out to be a necklace.  _"You were trying to get this, right?" "A necklace?"_ Footsteps quickly approached and the camera turned with Hank to reveal a frantic looking woman.  _"Are you okay?!" "Yes, I'm fine." "Gavin, you got hit by a fucking car; you are **not** okay!"_  _"Language, Hank." "No, fuck that! You scared the shit out of me, the both of you!"_ Behind the woman, a little girl hesitantly came up and Gavin handed the necklace to Cole.  _"Go on."_ He didn't move for a good minute, but did go to the girl, offering the necklace to her, which she took.  _"...T-Thank you." "Ana?" "T-The..."_ Cole started, getting everyone's attention,  _"The other boys took it from her and threw it in the street. I... My daddy's told me not to go into the street, but I... I-I had looked both ways and I didn't see anyone in the road..."_

So that's what happened. Cole was just trying to be kind and a reckless drive nearly killed him for it. Said driver was now appearing in the frame, looking rather angry.  _"The fucking hell, man? Can't you keep your kid under control?" "Why, you--"_  Hank started, but Gavin raised a hand, stopping the most likely colorful words that were going to leave him. He pushed himself to stand up and took in the man before him.  _"Is it just you in the car?" "No. I've got my own brats in the car."_ Gavin hummed before stunning everyone by pulling out a pair of handcuffs and arresting the man.  _"The fuck are you doing?! Get these off me or I'll call the cops."_ Pulling the most satisfying of power moves, Gavin pulls his police badge from his back pocket, showing it to the man.

 _"I am the police, and you're under arrest for reckless endangerment of a child, reckless driving, speeding, and driving while under the influence." "Under the influence? Fucker, I'm not drunk!" "That's true, I don't smell alcohol on you; but what I can see are the signs that your on Red Ice."_ Gavin nearly growled, his eyes narrowed, and given the amount of blood that was covering his face, neck, and arms, he looked extremely intimidating in that moment. Gavin got the man to sit on the sidewalk before pulling out his cell and dialing in a number.  _"...Tina? Yeah it's me. Can you send a patrol car my way? ...No, the park I mentioned yesterday. Yeah, Hank's here with me."_ Gavin turned to look at Hank and Cole, making sure they were okay.  _"No, I've got a...very unpleasant individual that needs to be processed. ...Speeding, DUI, reckless driving, and reckless child endangerment. Yeah, of Cole, but he's also got his own kids in the car too. ...No, I'm gonna check on them in a minute. ...Okay, thanks Tina."_

 _"How long?" "About four minutes. I'm going to check his car." "Yeah, some cop you are!"_ Gavin just rolled his eyes and made his way to the car, opening up one of the back doors.  _"Hi. My name is Gavin, I'm a police officer. Are you guys okay?"_ He spoke, listening to the passengers, nodding at whatever it was they were saying.  _"Why don't we go over here for a little bit?"_ He suggested, dipping further into the car before two children appeared, both girls and who looked to be around Cole's age. They both took one of Gavin's hands and he lead them over to Hank.  _"We've still got some juice boxes, right?" "Yeah."_ Reed quickly jogged over to the table they still had their things on, grabbed two boxes and came back to the girls.  _"Here. Drink these, and I'll have someone make sure you two are okay. Do you have someone who can watch over you?"_ One of the girls nodded.  _"O-Our mom's at work, bu-but grandma's not too far." "Okay. One of the officers will take you to your grandma's in a little bit."_

A few moments later, the patrol car showed up and Gavin explained what happened, the man nearly being tossed into the backseat of the car, and Connor didn't really blame them for that.  _"Gavin..."_ Hank started, the man turning to him, a soft look on his face.  _"I'll be fine, Hank. I've had worse."_ It kinda broke Connor's heart a little to hear that.  _"Yeah, you keep staying that, but I don't believe you." "If you wanna check my injuries, you can."_ There was an uncertain breath that left Hank; he clearly wanted to, but he didn't want to leave his son alone.  _"I can keep an eye on him while you do that."_  Ana's mother spoke, getting Hank's attention.  _"It's the least I can do for what your son tried to do for my daughter." "...Alright, thank you."_ Hank reached out and circled his hand around Gavin's wrist, pulling him to the car, grabbing the med kit he had in the trunk before he lead him into the public bathroom, setting the camera down on the countertop.

 _"Of all of the fucking days you wear a short sleeved shirt..."_ Hank muttered as he examined Gavin's arms carefully, cleaning off the now half dried blood; Reed hissed loudly as Hank swiped the alcohol cloth over the gashes to disinfect them but kept still despite the pain he had to be in. Hank carefully wrapped the bandages over Gavin's forearms, his biceps and shoulders thankfully unscathed.  _"Christ, you got lucky."_ It was true. That long gash that was spread along the length of his face and was deeper than the other cuts, had narrowly missed cutting open his tear duct.  _"This is gonna suck, so try and keep still."_ Gavin nodded his head a little before Hank took ahold of his chin and began to clean the blood off, disinfecting as he went. It seemed only the larger gash needed to be bandaged and after cutting a thin and long enough strip to cover it, taping it in several spots to keep it in place, Hank pulled Gavin into his arms.  _"Don't you **ever** fucking scare me like that again, Reed! Do you hear me?!"_

Gavin returned the hug, Connor now seeing as the fear and shock finally took over Gavin, the man shaking.  _"Yes, lieutenant. I'm sorry, lieutenant."_ Hank smoothed down some of Gavin's mused hair, pressing their foreheads together.  _"I don't want to lose either of you. You mean too much to me, and Cole."_ Gavin nodded his head, reaching up to carefully wipe away the tears that were running down his face.  _"I-I... I just saw that car barreling right towards Cole and I just...reacted. Fuck, he's not even my nephew, but it fuckin' feels like he is." "And why shouldn't he be?"_ Hank asked, and Gavin looked confused.  _"I've referred to you as his uncle so many times now that I can't think of your relationship with Cole in any other light; you are his uncle. You've helped me raise him, took care of him when I have a sudden case, bought him gifts, picked him up from his kindergarten class when I couldn't, taking him to his dentist or doctors appointments and always sent them up for days that I should have off. We might not be related, but fuck if you aren't part of my family now."_

Gavin didn't know what to say, so he just hugged Hank and then the video ended. "...And he still is." Connor looked over to Hank, unsure of what to say. What could he say? "...You must be confused on our relationship after watching this, huh?" Connor hummed, and Anderson sighed. "Give me a sec..." Hank got off the couch and moved to his bedroom, Connor hearing as somethings were shuffled around, leaning down to give Sumo a scratch behind his ear when he trotted over. Hank returned with another VCR tape, popping it in and starting it.

 _"I don't think you've noticed that I kept the camera last time I was over, Hank. Sorry about that."_ Gavin's voice started as he walked up to the house Connor had first known about, hearing as keys jiggled as they were pulled out of a pocket.  _"And I may have...borrowed...your house key and I maybe made a copy of it."_ Gavin didn't sound the least bit sorry about his actions at all. Opening up the door, he was greeted to the sight of Sumo trotting up to him.  _"Hey boy. Where's Hank?"_ Sumo turned and walked to the bedroom that was near the front door, Gavin sighing.  _"Thanks buddy."_ He patted the top of Sumo's head before stepping into the room.

It looked like a hurricane tore through it. An unhealthy one. There was bourbon, scotch, and whiskey bottles littered about, some boxes of take out on the floor and nightstand. Hank was curled up on his side, back towards Gavin.  _"Fuck off, Reed."_ Gavin sighed heavily.  _"Hank, I understand that you don't want to see me, but Chris and Tina are getting worried; you've even got Fowler worried about you."_ Gavin said as he set the camera down on the nightstand, keeping Hank in frame as he moved and sat on the bed behind him.  _"...Will you please just talk to me?" "Why? What fucking reason should I talk to you?" "Because I'm Cole's uncle? Because I'm apart of this family? Because I'm worried about you?"_  He questioned, reaching out and placing a hand on Hank's shoulder, the older man quickly on his feet and yanking Gavin off his bed by the front of his shirt, slamming him against the wall.

Gavin grunted at the impact, but kept calm.  _"And why the hell are you acting like his death doesn't bother you?!" "It does fucking bother me!"_ Gavin retorted, his hands coming up to grab Hank's, but he didn't try to pull them away.  _"But I'm so **PHCKING** scared that you're gonna do something to yourself that I can't focus on anything else!"_ Hank growled, annoyed about something.  _"What? You think I'm gonna kill myself?" "The amount of bottles you have in the room seem to point that way."_ Reed said flatly, not letting Hank get any ground in this fight; he was going to get him to see his point about what was going on no matter what, it seemed.  _"And wouldn't you be feeling the same way if it was your son?!" "I would, but I also know it's better to survive than to give up! Hank, I know all of this hurts, that it's too much and you want it to end, but for fuck sake, I need you!"_

His words took Hank by surprise.  _"...I need you. Without you, I wouldn't be the man I am; without you, I would **be** you right now. Booze in one hand, a gun in the other."_  _"...You can't mean that." "But I do. You mean more to me than you'll ever know, Hank."_ Hank growled low in his throat.  _"Oh, I think I do know."_ And then his was kissing Gavin. The sudden turn in the situation caught the man off guard, not fighting for a few moments as Hank deepened the kiss, starting to grind against him. Seconds later, Gavin was fighting to push Hank off; it took some effort on his part, but Gavin managed to get Hank off him, now scowling at the man who was a good two feet from him.  _"Fuck you!" "I thought you wanted me, Reed?"_

 _"Yes, I want to be with you, but you aren't in a clear state of mind, you're drunk, and I'm not going to let you do something that you're gonna regret down the road!"_ Gavin confessed, some tears welling in his eyes.  _"Oh really now? Then what were you going on about, huh? Didn't you wanna help me?"_ Gavin socked Hank right in the jaw, sending the man right on his ass, some of the tears sliding down his cheeks.  _"I do, but not like this." "So what? You're just gonna leave me?! Huh? Gonna leave me like the wife did?! Like my son did?!" "...No, but I'm not going to let you try and manipulate me into sleeping with you. You're grieving, but using me isn't going to help you and we both know it."_ Gavin slumped back against the wall.  _"...I love you, Hank. I've been in love with you since I first laid eyes on you, and it's only grown deeper from the years you and I worked together and raised Cole. But because I love you, I'm not gonna watch as you destroy yourself and your career. I'm not going to just sit by and let you take your life."_

 _"...Fuck you. Fuck you, Gavin. D-Don't you fuckin' say th..."_ Hank broke off as he suddenly started to cry himself.  _"Hank, I've always saw you as a father, didn't matter my feelings towards you. You know I've already watched as one of my parents died; I'm gonna be damned before I watch another one get taken away from me, too."_ Gavin moved closer to Hank, pulling the sobbing man into his arms, just rocking him from side to side.  _"If you can't fight these feelings for me, can you try for Cole? I know he'd want to see you smiling, and not like...this..." "I-I... I don't know if I can..." "Try. Please, Hank, just...try."_ Gavin rested his head on top of Hank's, the man giving a weak nod.  _"...I'll be on the couch if you need me."_ Gavin said, starting to stand, but Hank yanked him back down.  _"No, don't... Don't go, stay with me. Stay here with me, in my bed, please." "Hank, I..." "Please..."_

Hank begged as he tried to lean in and kiss Gavin again, the man quick enough this time to cover Hank's mouth with his hand. Hank whined at that.  _"Hank, you're drunk. I don't care if I want to be with you, I'm not going to take advantage of you." "Gavin...you don't get it. I-I...I need this."_ Gavin cocked a brow, not convinced.  _"Why? Why do you need to sleep with me?" "I just... I just want to feel loved again, even if it's just for a night. I want to know that I can still love after...after the person I've loved most in the world has been ripped away from me..." "...Hank, there's other ways to feel that."_ But he just shook his head.  _"I've tried. Nothing makes me feel like that at all, not even the hint of it."_ Gavin chewed his lower lip in thought.

 _"...Is this really what you want? Even though you've told me that the thought of being with another man bothers you?" "Please... Gavin, I'm begging you, please. Just for a night."_ A few moments later, Gavin's shoulders slouched.  _"...Alright."_ A soft smile flashed across Hank's lips before he leaned in and kissed Gavin again, the other man letting him lead him backwards to his bed, and as they collapsed onto it, the video ended. "...That almost seemed like you used him, Hank." "...I honestly feel like I might have. We haven't talked at all about what happened that night, but I think it might be one of the things that lead to the...relationship I have with Reed."

Connor's eyes fell onto the floor, not sure of what to say. "I think..." Connor turned to Hank, waiting for the man's eyes to be on him before he went on, "I think you two need to talk about it. I know this must have happened a couple of years back, but...it still needs to be addressed." "...I agree with you there, Connor. I just...need to find the right time to do it." Connor knew Hank was just putting it off, but he kinda understood in some sense why he was; Connor himself still felt estranged around his people, fearing that all they'll see him as is the 'famous deviant hunter' and not just...Connor.

"Well, how about we watch a classic to lighten up the mood?" "Hank..." "I'll let you make dinner if we do." "Oh, you drive such a hard bargain, lieutenant." Now he understands why Gavin said to never negotiate with Hank; the man always manages to offer you a deal you can't really refuse.


End file.
